Responsibilities, tasks, skills of the system administrator (sysadmin)

Description and functions of the position of a system administrator

The profession “System Administrator” is the position of an IT specialist , whose duties include ensuring the smooth operation of computer equipment, local network and software (repair, regularly updating, setting up, etc.). And the demand for this specialty is constantly stable because no sphere of human activity can do without the use of computers linux administrator. 

Below, we present to you a list of responsibilities, skills and knowledge that are important to have in order to become a system administrator.

Is it easy to master the profession?

It is not easy to master the profession of a system administrator. mandatory requirements for a sysadmin are most often in-depth knowledge of the Windows family (for example, offices often use Active Directory to control the domain), free orientation in the hardware settings (wi-fi access points, routers, printers, etc.), the ability to organize / configure a computer local network (both physical and virtual) and so on. 

Sometimes companies hire young assistants for sysadmins (they are also called enikeys or specialists in everything), who are engaged in small tasks that often require not deep technical knowledge, but patience and free time (for example, install a program for accounting or reinstall Windows). In order to become an assistant to a system administrator, deep knowledge is not required (often people with burning eyes and a desire to learn and minimal technical skills are hired for it). With the proper approach, Enikeys gradually gain experience and in a year or two can become full-fledged administrators. 

Salary level

The salary level depends on the specialization (specializations can be, for example, a pure Windows admin, a Window / Linux admin, an admin for servicing virtualization systems such as VMware, universal specialists in all intra-office tasks), the depth of knowledge within the specialization, the size of the company and much more. Typically, the salary of a system administrator is higher than that of a technical support engineer or QA engineer (manual), but lower than that of DevOps or Developers.

Pros and cons of the profession of a system administrator

Pros:

good salary

a deep level of understanding of how modern IT works (since things that system administrators work with - from hardware to virtualization systems)

Minuses:

multitasking (many small tasks from a large number of employees)

often routine tasks (for example, reinstalling the system)